Lasalle Canal Tour

Only an hour and a half drive outside of Chicago is the adorable town of Lasalle, IL. Located along the Illinois River , it also is along the canal that once connected it to Chicago. They offer a truly unique boat tour of the Canal and all it’s history. It was the perfect place to get together with family for a relaxing day together.

Booking your Tour

Moe the mule and our tour guide

Booking your tour can be done very easily online through the I&M website. Check it out Here.  They have a really generous refund policy in that you can get your money back if you cancel prior to 24 hours ahead. In case of thunder storms you have the option of a refund or reschedule. In case of rain they will still go out and like us you will want to bring your rain gear and/or hide below deck. If you are going to do lunch at the Lock 16 Cafe onsite I recommend making reservations as space is limited.

Lock 16 Cafe and Visitor Center

The Lock 16 Cafe and visitor center is the meeting spot for checking in for your tour. It worked perfectly for us, driving in from all different directions. We were able to meet here at 11:30am and have some lunch together before our 1pm tour. They offer healthy fare and vegetarian options which was perfect for our group. They had some trouble with our large group but the food was very yummy. The visitor center additionally has plenty of brochures for other local attractions and gifts. The location of the boat dock is only a block or two walk down by the water from the visitor center.

Canal Tour

The boat tour is one hour long. You can sit up on top or down below where you can view out of the open windows. Given that it was raining on and off on the day of our tour it was really helpful to have the option of both. The boat is staffed by three guides, all dressed in period attire. One of them captains the boat, one narrates the tour and one walks on land with the mule who is pulling the boat. The narrator tells stories about the history of the Canal, the mule pulled boats and what it would have been like to ride them back then. Without the usual boat motor sound, the  tour is very relaxing. It worked really well for our group of all ages from infant to senior citizen.

Mules

What really gives this boat tour character is the Mules. They pull the boat just as they would have when the Canal was in use and I am not aware of any other place where they still do this. The staff will tell you about their Mules and how they care for them. After the tour they wait with the mule for pictures and provide you with carrots and marshmallows so you can even feed them. Apparently, these are their favorite treats and you can tell because they go right for them.

Shopping

The local area has a lot of unique shops you can check our before or after your tour. The Canal Cargo Market  vintage shop across the street from the visitor center was a real gem. I loved how they had canal related artifacts and have everything organized throughout the room by color. I highly suggest you take a peek. If you drive the 10 minutes over to North Utica there are additional unique shops and food places to explore.  North Utica is also home to the Lasalle County Historical Museum for more local history.

We drove down from Chicagoland and met with family to enjoy all that Lasalle, IL had to offer. We were able to enjoy our time together and had a relaxing tour of the canal. It was the perfect spot to meet up and learn some history, eat a nice meal together and do some shopping. A great day was had by all. The tour would also be a great addition to a trip to Starved Rock and Matthiessen Park, learn more about our trip here.